Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach Rabbi Pinches Friedman Parshas Shelach 5771 Translation by Dr. Baruch Fox “May יהSave You from the Plot of the Spies”
The Name י"הAmazingly Connects the Letter “Yod” Representing Wisdom with the Letter “Heh” with which This World Was Created We read in this week’s parsha, parshat Shelach (13, 1):שלחלך,"וידברה'אלמשהלאמר " — אנשים ויתורו את ארץ כנען אשר אני נותן לבני ישראלHashem spoke to Moshe, saying, “Send forth for yourself men, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan that I gave to Bnei Yisroel". The Baal HaTurim comments:,"של'חל'ךאנשי'םסופיתיבותחכ"ם " — שיהיו חכמים וצדיקיםthe last letters of the words של'ח ל'ך אנשי'םform the word חכ"ם, a wise person, indicating that the men chosen for this mission should be both wise and righteous. It is incumbent upon us to explain why of all the attributes and qualities men possess, HKB”H instructed Moshe to specifically send spies who were “wise.” Additionally, the passuk (13, 16) states: " — "ויקראמשהלהושעבןנוןיהושעand Moshe called Hoshea the son of Nun Yehoshua. Rashi explains:"התפללעליוי"היושיעךמעצת " — מרגליםhe prayed on his behalf: May י"ה, “Yud-keh” (one of Hashem’s names), save you from the plot of the spies. This, too, requires further explanation. Of all the holy names associated with HKB”H, why did Moshe see fit to specifically employ the name י"ה--“Yudkeh” — for the purpose of beseeching HKB”H to protect Hoshea bin Nun from the influence of the other spies? It is also worthwhile to note the Targum Yonatan’s interpretation of this passuk: "וכדי "חמאמשהענותנותיהקראמשהלהושעברנוןיהושע. When Moshe realized the degree of Hoshea bin Nun’s humility, he changed his name to Yehoshua. We find that the commentaries spent a great deal of effort to explain the association between the attribute of humility and the name — י"הwhich prompted Moshe to change his name. The World to Come Was Created with the Letter “Yud” This World Was Created with the Letter “Heh” Let us begin our journey with the illuminating words of our holy master and teacher, Rabbi Yisochor Dov of Belz, zy”a. He provides us with a practical explanation as to why Moshe 1
Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach Rabeinu specifically employed the name י"הwhile praying on behalf of Yehoshua. His explanation is founded on the view of many of our early commentaries concerning the spies’ mistaken perspective. Despite the fact that all of the spies were princes of Yisroel and men with outstanding reputations, they did not want to enter Eretz Yisroel. They were well aware of the fact that the “Mohn” was only being provided to Yisroel during their sojourn in the desert; upon entering Eretz Yisroel, the supply of “Mohn” from heaven would cease. They did not wish to lose the tremendous spiritual benefits afforded them by the “Mohn”; therefore, they did not want to enter the land. The Gemoreh (Yoma 75:) describes the “Mohn” as: "לחםשמלאכיהשרתאוכליןאותו,— "לחםאביריםאכלאיש food consumed by the heavenly angels. The spies were of the opinion that the only place that they could occupy themselves with Torah study and properly serve Hashem was in the desert wilderness. Due to the provision of daily “Mohn” from heaven, they did not need to concern themselves with matters of this world. In Eretz Yisroel, however, the “Mohn” would cease to fall, and they would have to work their fields and vineyards and occupy themselves with earthly pursuits; this would surely interfere with their Torah study and service of Hashem. Thus, they attempted to prevent Yisroel from entering Eretz Yisroel. Unfortunately, the spies erred in their judgment. What HKB”H truly desires is that we occupy ourselves with worldly pursuits while dedicating all of our efforts to sanctifying and serving only Hashem. The simple proof of the matter can be seen in the fact that man was created with a physical body derived from the dust and earth and elements of this world. Only afterwards did HKB”H breathe a living soul from the spiritual world into his nostrils. As it is written (Bereishis 2, 7):ויפח,"וייצרה'אלקיםאתהאדםעפרמןהאדמה " — באפיו נשמת חיים ויהי האדם לנפש חיהand Hashem G-d formed the man of dust from the earth and he blew into his nostrils the soul of life; and man became a living thing. This process served as an indication to mankind that we are to serve Hashem as a body in conjunction with a soul — to align the physical needs of this world with concerns of the World to Come which nourish the soul. It was for this reason that HKB”H brought Yisroel to Eretz Yisroel, a land flowing with milk and honey, so that they would engage in matters of this world dedicated solely to the service of the One Above. This lesson is also inherent in the name י"ה, “Yud-keh” (pronounced Koh). As we have learned in the Gemoreh (Menoches 29:) regarding the passuk (Yeshayah 26, 4):'"בטחובה
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Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach " — עדיעדכיבי"הה'צורעולמיםTrust in Hashem forever, for in “Koh,” Hashem, is the strength of the worlds. The Gemoreh teaches us that HKB”H formed the two worlds by means of the name Koh, ;י"הthe World to Come was created with the letter “yud” and this world was created with the letter “heh.” Thus, the name Koh, composed of the letters “yud” and “heh,” alludes to the fact that man must strive to align these two worlds — this world with the World to Come. This is accomplished by always having in mind that whatever we do in this world is devoted solely to the purpose of serving Hashem. This, in fact, is the meaning of the verse (Tehillim 116, 17):"לאהמתיםיהללוי"הולאכל " — יורדידומהNeither can the dead praise “Koh” nor all who descend into silence. In other words, the wicked — who are referred to as dead even while alive — do not unify the elements of the name Koh. For, if they are not occupied at all with matters of the World to Come, i.e. Torah and mitzvot, they most certainly are not devoting their mundane, worldly activities to the sanctification of Heaven. Yet: "ואנחנונברךי"המעתהועדעולם " — הללויהwe will bless “Koh” from now until eternity, HalleluKoh. By dedicating all of our activities in this world to the glorification and sanctification of Heaven, we fulfill this divine purpose. We can now comprehend why Moshe specifically employed the name Koh while praying on Yehoshua’s behalf. As mentioned above, the spies mistakenly believed that it was impossible to serve Hashem properly while occupied with mundane, worldly matters; consequently, they wished to remain in the wilderness where the provision of the “Mohn” freed them of the concern for worldly matters. In response, Moshe beseeched Hashem on his behalf: ""י"היושיעךמעצתמרגלים--May Koh save you from the plot of the spies. In other words, may the name “Koh,” “Yud-keh,”--which teaches us to align matters of this world with the World to Come — may He save you and shield you from the erroneous reasoning of the spies and their reluctance to enter Eretz Yisroel. This is the gist of the fascinating insight provided by Rav Yissocher Dov of Belz, zy”a. Yaakov Snatched the Letter Yud From the End of Eisav’s Name Let us continue along this exalted path and delve into this matter a bit further — explaining why Moshe Rabeinu specifically employed the name “Yud-keh” while praying on Yehoshua’s behalf. Let us introduce the passage describing the births of Eisav and Yaakov (Bereishis 25, 25): ואחריכןיצא,"ויצאהראשוןאדמוניכולוכאדרתשערויקראושמועשו "אחיווידואוחזתבעקבעשוויקראשמויעקב-- The first one emerged red, entirely like a hairy mantle; so they named him Eisav. After that his brother emerged with his 3
Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach hand grasping on to the heel of Eisav; so he called him Yaakov. Rashi explains that it was Hashem that named him Yaakov. The commentators puzzle over the fact that HKB”H named him " "יעקבbeginning with the letter “yud.” Based on the rationale mentioned in the passuk: ""וידו אוחזת בעקב עשו-- with his hand grasping on to the heel (“akev”) of Eisav — he should have been named ""עקב, “akev” without the “yud.” The Megaleh Amukos provides us with a solution to this problem based on the words of Rashi (ibid.). Regarding the rationale and origin of the name Eisav, Rashi states: "לפישהיה " — נעשהונגמרבשערוכבןשניםהרבהhe was born fully formed and full of hair like a fully grown person. The Rashbam explains that according to this explanation the name ""עשו derives from the word " "עשויwhich means fully made or done. The problem then is why was he called " "עשוwithout the ' יand not " "עשויwith a '?י In fact, according to the Megaleh Amukos, originally, he should have been named ""עשויwith a ' יat the end of his name; however, Yaakov snatched away the ' יand added it to his own name; as a result, his name remained " "עשוwithout a 'י, while Yaakov gained the additional "yud" --expanding his name from " "עקבto ""יעקב. This is all alluded to in the words of the passuk: " — "וידואוחזתבעקבעשוYaakov grabbed onto Eisav’s heel, i.e. the end of his name, the letter “yud” of the name ""עשוי. The word יד"וalso alludes to this event; for, when rearranged יד"וspells the word יו"ד, “yud” — the last letter of Eisav’s original name which Yaakov extracted from him. In summary, we have learned an important fact. At the time of their birth, Yaakov and Eisav waged a deadly battle over the letter ' י,which was originally part of Eisav’s name. Ultimately, Yaakov succeeded in grabbing Eisav’s heel, taking away the last letter of his name and joining it to his own name. To commemorate this act, the Almighty named him Yaakov--""ויקראשמויעקב. We must now endeavor to explain the significance of the letter “yud,” over which Yaakov and Eisav — the force of kedushah versus the force of tumah — waged this momentous battle. “Yud” Represents Wisdom which Elevates the Lowly Aspects of the Heel So, let us introduce a wonderful insight from the incredible teachings of the great Rabbi from Rophshitz, zy”a, found in his sefer Zera Kodesh (end of Bereishis). There he enlightens us with regard to the deeper meaning embodied by the name יעק"ב, which connects the letter “yud” with the “akev,” the heel:
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Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach שעלידי,"כמושפירשתיעלפסוק)בראשיתלבכט( לאיעקביאמרעודשמךכיאםישראל שמכניסין בחינת חכמה לדברים הגשמיים שמקיימין,עקב-קיום התורה הקדושה בבחינת י כי בחינת יעקב הוא, על ידי זה מעלין בחינת עקב לבחינת יו"ד הראשית,המצוות בגשמיות שהוא)שםכחיד(סולםמוצב,בחינת)שמותכוכח(בריחהתיכוןמבריחמןהקצהאלהקצה ."ארצהוראשומגיעהשמימה The name יעק"בalludes to our holy forefather’s sacred mission in this world — to connect two very diverse poles. The letters" "עקבin his name allude to all issues pertaining to this physical, material world — issues that are on a lower spiritual level corresponding to the ""עקב, the heel of the foot. The letter ' יin his name, on the other hand, is the first of the four letters of Hashem’s holy name, and alludes to חכמה, wisdom, which is in the head. As the Zohar hakadosh explains (Pinchas 232.): " — "י' חכמהthe letter “yud” signifies wisdom. This, then, is the deeper significance of the name יעק"בwhich is an amalgamation of two polar and diverse elements — the “yud” and the “akev.” For, indeed, this is our forefather Yaakov’s sacred mission — to elevate all of the lowly matters of this world, represented by the “akev,” the heel. This daunting feat is accomplished by utilizing the “chochmah,” the wisdom located in one’s head and represented by the letter “yud.” One must weigh and measure all of one’s worldly and mundane pursuits on the scale of “chochmah” to insure that one’s actions are devoted solely to the wishes and service of Hashem. In the words of the Mishnah (Avot 2, 12): " — "וכלמעשיךיהיולשםשמיםall of your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven. In this manner, the Zera Kodesh explains a statement in the holy Zohar (Terumah 175:) expounding on the passuk (Shemos 26, 28):"והבריחהתיכוןבתוךהקרשיםמבריחמןהקצה "דאהואיעקבקדישאשלימא,“ — אלהקצהthe middle bar inside the planks shall extend from end to end,” this refers to the holy Yaakov. As we have explained, in his service of Hashem, Yaakov Avinu connects the two diverse poles; he elevates all of the lowly matters of this world represented by the heel to the source of kedushah — “chochmah” located in the head and represented by the letter “yud.” This, too, is the message HKB”H revealed to Yaakov in his famous dream (Bereishis 28, 12): ""והנה סולם מוצב ארצה וראשו מגיע השמימה--"A ladder was standing firmly on the ground and its head reached the heavens.” The dream revealed to Yaakov his sacred mission and mode of service in this world. The “akev” in his name, alluding to the lowly matters of this world, was symbolized by the earthbound ladder; on the other hand, the
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Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach letter “yud” in his name, representing the “chochmah” in one’s head, was symbolized by the fact that the ladder also extended heavenward. Who Is Wise He Who Foresees What Is Yet to Come We can expand on this concept regarding use of the 'י, which is “chochmah,” to elevate all mundane matters to the realm of kedushah. If a Jew wants to sanctify all of his worldly pursuits, he must always have in mind that his actions are intended to enable him to better serve Hashem and to be able to engage in Torah study — this includes his eating, drinking, walking, sitting and all other physical needs. This is stated clearly in the Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 231): ("בכלמהשיהנהבעולםהזהלאיכויןלהנאתואלאלעבודתהבוראיתברךכדכתיב)משליגו שאפילו דברים של רשות כגון, ואמרו חכמים כל מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים,בכל דרכיך דעהו יהיו כולם,האכילה והשתיה וההליכה והישיבה והקימה והתשמיש והשיחה וכל צרכי גופך ."ומישנוהגכןעובדאתבוראותמיד...לעבודתבוראךאולדברהגורםעבודתו It now makes perfect sense how proper use of the “yud,” which is “chochmah,” allows us to elevate all that is mundane to the realm of kedushah. For, we have learned in the Gemoreh (Tamid 32:): ""איזהוחכםהרואהאתהנולד--Who is wise? He who can foresee what is yet to come. We see that when a Jew utilizes the ' יin his daily endeavors — his eating and drinking, etc.--foreseeing the consequences and benefits of his actions, he succeeds in elevating and sanctifying the " "עקבmatters of this world. This provides a very nice understanding of Yaakov Avinu’s declaration (Bereishis 28, 22): " — "וכלאשרתתןליעשראעשרנולךand whatever you will give me, I shall repeatedly tithe to you — in light of the following statement in the holy Zohar (Korach 179.): "פקודא "' — להפרישישראלמעשרמסטראדאתיthe command for Yisroel to tithe comes from the letter “yud.” We see that giving maaser (tithing), an amount equal to one-tenth of one’s produce, is a function of “chochmah,” the letter “yud.” Therefore, only Yaakov, who was named by HKB”H, combining the “yud” with the “akev,” accepted upon himself the obligation to tithe; only he understands how to apply “chochmah” to elevate and sanctify all elements of this world. Additionally, this provides us with a better understanding of the words of the Megaleh Amukos (Toldot) and the Baal HaTurim (Yitro) concerning the association between the name יעק"בand the Ten Commandments. The “yud” of יעק"ב, which has a numerical value of ten, alludes to the Ten Commandments themselves; the remaining letters ""עקב, which
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Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach have a numerical value of one hundred and seventy-two, correspond to the one hundred and seventy-two words that comprise the Ten Commandments. Thus, we can postulate that this is why HKB”H gave us on Har Sinai specifically Ten Commandments consisting of one hundred and seventy-two words. He was conveying the message that the only way to elevate the earthly, mundane matters of this world — which are analogous to the lowly “akev,” heel — is by means of the “chochmah” of the Torah, represented by the letter “yud,” equal to ten. So, we find that the name יעק"בand the ten commandments deliver the same message! Eisav Was Supposed to Serve Hashem in the Material Realm Rashi’s commentary on Bereishis (25, 22) is well known: מתרוצצים,"ויתרוצצוהבניםבקרבה " — זהעםזהומריביםבנחלתשניעולמותthe two twins, Yaakov and Eisav were battling in their mother’s womb over control of the two worlds, this world and the World to Come. His source is the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni): אחישני,אמרלויעקבלעשו,אמרוכשהיויעקבועשובמעיאמן."מכרהכיוםאתבכורתךלי העולם הזה יש בו אכילה ושתיה ומשא ומתן לישא,עולמות לפנינו העולם הזה ועולם הבא רצונךטולאתההעולם,אבלהעולםהבאאיןבוכלהמדותהללו,אשהולהולידבניםובנות ."כאותוהיוםשהיובבטןאמם,שנאמרמכרהכיוםאתבכורתךלי,הזהואניאטולהעולםהבא According to the Midrash, before they were even born, Yaakov and Eisav agreed to divide up the two worlds. Eisav agreed to take this material world characterized by eating, drinking, commerce, marriage and children. Yaakov agreed to take the World to Come which possesses none of those characteristics. We may explain this as follows: their dispute pertained to the proper way to serve Hashem. Eisav chose to serve Hashem in matters of this world, in keeping with the principle of: " — "בכלדרכיך דעהוin all of your endeavors know Him; whereas, Yaakov chose to serve Hashem only in matters of the World to Come and to totally separate himself from matters of this world. Now, we can understand why the ' יwas originally placed in Eisav’s name ""עשוי. Since he chose to serve Hashem in matters of this world, he would need the 'י, the element of “chochmah,” to elevate and sanctify these matters. This also explains why Eisav was the firstborn, since he represented the 'י, the first letter of the holy name--the firstborn, as it were, of the four letters of Hashem’s name. Yaakov, on the other hand, was supposed to serve Hashem only in matters pertaining to the World to Come; he was to remove himself from matters of this world; however, while still 7
Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach in his mother’s womb, he realized that Eisav had no intention of serving Hashem and keeping his part of the bargain. This became quite apparent from Eisav’s constant efforts to leave the womb whenever they passed a place of idol-worship. Therefore, as they were being born: ""וידואוחזתבעקבעשו--he grabbed Eisav’s heel with his hand to commandeer the ' יat the end of his brother’s name, , " ; "עשויhe intended to join the “yud” with the matters of this world, the ""עקב. This is why Hashem named him — יעק"בa fusion of the ' יand the ""עקב--revealing to the world that He agreed to having Yaakov serve Hashem also in matters of this world. Eretz Yisroel Possesses Ten Levels of Kedushah Corresponding to the Letter "Yud" At this point, we have also achieved a greater appreciation of why HKB”H chose to create the World to Come and this world with the name י"ה, as it is written: "כי בי"ה ה' צור " — עולמיםfor in Koh (Yud-keh), Hashem, is the strength of the worlds. We have mentioned Rav Yissocher Dov of Belz’s, zy”a, explanation that this name conveys that it is incumbent upon us to connect and align our pursuits in this world — which was created with the letter “heh” — with matters of the World to Come — which was created with the letter “yud.” As discussed, a Jew must apply and utilize his “chochmah” in all his endeavors in this world in order to elevate them and sanctify them to the level of the World to Come — thus, creating the union of the “yud” and the “heh,” י"ה. Alas, we can rejoice at having shed some light on the subject of Moshe Rabeinu’s prayer on behalf of Yehoshua. He added the letter “yud” to the name Hoshea and beseeched Hashem: " — "י"ה יושיעך מעצת המרגליםmay “Koh” save you from the plot of the spies. The spies refused to recommend that Yisroel enter Eretz Yisroel on the premise that there they would be required to work in their fields and vineyards and, consequently, would not be able to serve Hashem properly. The name “Koh,” however--uniting the “yud” representing “chochmah” with the “heh” with which this world was created — constitutes a rebuttal to the spies’ argument. For, this holy name clearly indicates that it is HKB”H’s will that all worldly pursuits be elevated for the sake of Heaven. Therefore, Moshe prayed: " — "י"היושיעךמעצתהמרגליםmay “Koh” save you from the plot of the spies. This fits in beautifully with the fact that Eretz Yisroel contains ten levels of sanctity. We have learned in the Mishnah (Keilim 1, 6): " — "עשרקדושותהןthere are ten categories of sanctity (kedushah). Seeing as the “Mohn” ceased to descend from heaven when Yisroel entered Eretz Yisroel, the people were forced to work the land. As is His way, HKB”H set
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Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach the remedy in place prior to the arrival of the actual malady. By imbuing Eretz Yisroel with ten types of kedushah, corresponding to the letter “yud” (with a numerical value of ten) representing “chochmah,” Yisroel were well-equipped to elevate all of their endeavors in the land for the sake of Heaven. This is also the meaning of the Gemoreh (Bava Batra 158:) which states: "אוירא דארץ " — ישראלמחכיםthe air of Eretz Yisroel instills wisdom. Similarly, the Midrash (B.R. 16, 4) elucidates the passuk in Bereishis (2, 12) as follows: מלמד-"וזהבהארץההואטוב " — שאיןתורהכתורתארץישראלולאחכמהכחכמתארץישראלextolling the superiority of the Torah and wisdom one is able to acquire only in Eretz Yisroel. Based on what we have learned, this advantage and superiority stem from the ten types of kedushah which permeate Eretz Yisroel. This is the source of the “yud,” the “chochmah,” which enables those working their fields and those engaging in material pursuits to elevate all of their activities to Hashem. Now, let us address the comment of the Targum Yonatan cited above: "וכדי חמא משה " — ענותנותיה קרא משה להושע בר נון יהושעwhen Moshe recognized Hoshea bin Nun’s level of humility, he changed his name to Yehoshua. We have learned in the Gemoreh (Pesachim 66:): " — "כל המתייהר אם חכם הוא חכמתו מסתלקת ממנוanyone who shows haughtiness: if he is a wise man, his wisdom deserts him. . . We find that in order for the letter “yud,” the “chochmah,” which Moshe added to Yehoshua’s name, to remain with him, he had to be humble; for, as we have learned, if he were to become haughty, his “chochmah” would desert him. Therefore, only after Moshe saw the degree of Yehoshua’s humility did he add the letter “yud” representing “chochmah” to his name; the only assurance that the “yud,” the “chochmah,” would not desert him was his characteristic of humility. Now, the allusion pointed out by the Baal HaTurim in the passuk regarding the spies is clear: " — "של'חל'ךאנשי'םסופיתיבותחכ"םthe last letters of the three words "של'ח — ל'ך אנשי'םsend forth for yourself men — spell out the word ""חכם, meaning wise man. HKB”H hinted to Moshe that each of the spies should be a " ;"חכםeach should possess the “chochmah” to know how to engage in worldly and mundane matters consistent with the dictum: " — "איזהוחכםהרואהאתהנולדWho is wise? He who foresees what is yet to come. They should all be men who have the intent that their worldly endeavors are aimed at enabling them to better serve Hashem and engage in Torah study. If they possess this quality, they will realize that although they will be required to work their fields and vineyards in Eretz Yisroel, nevertheless, applying the “chochmah” represented 9
Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach by the letter “yud,” they will succeed in elevating all of their endeavors for the sake of Heaven. The Reason HKB”H Placed the Name י"ה Between a Man and a Woman Now, come and see how what we have learned provides us with some insight into the often quoted Gemoreh (Sotah 17.): לא זכו אש,"דריש רבי עקיבא איש ואשה זכו שכינה ביניהן " — אוכלתןRabbi Akiva teaches us that is a husband and wife are deserving, the Divine Presence dwells among them; if they are not, they are consumed by fire. Rashi explains that that the Hebrew word for man, איש, contains the letter “yud”; while the Hebrew word for woman, אשה, contains the letter “heh.” So, we see that Hashem divided up His name “Koh” between a man and a woman. Consequently, if their marriage is successful, the Shechinah dwells among them. If, however, their marriage is unsuccessful, and the name “Koh” consisting of the letters “yud” and “heh” are removed, what remains is אשand — אש two conflicting bodies of fire. Let us explain why HKB”H chose to place the name “Koh” — “Yud-keh” — specifically, between a man and a woman. Based on our discussion above, we can suggest that HKB”H wished to teach us that although a marital relationship between a man and a woman falls into the category of worldly, mundane matters-- which were created with the letter “heh” — nevertheless, this relationship must be weighed on the scales of “chochmah” represented by the letter “yud,” and sanctified solely for the sake of Heaven; this is the way to unify the name “Koh.” How fitting it is, therefore, that it is the man, the אי"ש, that bears the responsibility for applying and utilizing the “yud” of “chochmah” properly! As mentioned: "איזהוחכםהרואה " — אתהנולדWho is wise? He who foresees what is yet to come. The word הנולדcan also be translated as the unborn or newborn. Certainly, the purpose of a marital relationship is to bring children into the world. It is the man’s job, therefore, to utilize his “chochmah” to foresee the children that will result from this relationship. Seeing as the “yud” of “chochmah” depends on Torah wisdom, which is a commandment incumbent upon the man and not the woman, this explains why HKB”H placed the letter “yud” with the man rather than with the woman. This, then, is the meaning of Rabbi Akiva’s elucidation: " — "אישואשהזכוif a man and a woman are deserving and their intentions are strictly for the sake of Heaven-- "שכינה " — ביניהןthe name “Koh” dwells among them, assisting them to sanctify all of their 10
Shvilei Pinches Parshas Shelach earthly pursuits — by means of the union of the “yud” of “chochmah” and the “heh” with which this world was created. If, however, " — "לא זכוtheir intentions are not aimed at sanctifying the name of Heaven but are merely to satisfy their own lust and earthly desires — then " — "אשאוכלתןthey are consumed and overwhelmed by the fire of their passions and desires. This also beautifully explains the formula for marriage established by our earlier sages: " — "הריאתמקודשתליבטבעתזוכדתמשהוישראלBehold, you are consecrated to me with this ring in accordance with the laws of Moshe and Yisroel. The Tikunei Zohar (Tikun 10, 25.) explains that at the time of the wedding, it is imperative that one have in mind that the circular ring resembles the letter “yud.” With this intent, the chosen, the bridegroom, proclaims: " — "הרי את מקודשת ליit is my intention to sanctify our relationship--" — "בטבעתזוwith this ring resembling the “yud” of “chochmah”--"כדתמשה " — וישראלjust like the Torah which was given in Ten Commandments, representing the “yud,” and one hundred and seventy-two words, representing the “akev,” the heel, this symbolic action indicates that all of our worldly endeavors must be sanctified by means of the “yud” of “chochmah.”
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